Improvement in car-couplings



H. BLACKMURE.

Car Coupling.

' y PtentedManZZ, 1864.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY BLAOKMORE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR Tt) HIM- SELF AND ADAM APPLE.

' IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,041, dated March 22, 1864.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BLAGKMORE, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of- Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings;.

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view of my improved coupling, one of the coupling-boxes being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a side view of my improved coupling, one of the coupling-boxes being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a representation of one of the coupling-pins, and Fig, 4 is a representation of the other or hinged coupling-pin. Fig. 5 is a top view of the draft-bar or couplin g-link.

The ordinaryT coupling, consisting of a pair ot' coupling-boxes or buffers--one attached to each end of the carsa wroughtiron link or draft-bar, and two wrought-iron pins passed vertically through the coupling-boxes and engaging the link, is so simple and in many respects superior to others that its use is al-l most universal, notwithstanding the various devices invented of self coupling attachments for railroad-cars.

My improvement is designed to preserve the general features of the old and wellknown coupling and add to it the important feature of automatic action -without making it complicated in construction or liable to deran gement or breakage.

To enable others skilled in the art to construct and use my improved car-coupling, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings, Figs. l and 2, a a are the coupling-boxes, Which are similar in construction and are attached, one to each end of every car in the ordinary manner. The mouth or opening of the coupling-boxes, as shown in the sections in Figs. 1 and 2, is ilaring, more so in the vertical section, Fig. 2, than in the horizontal section, Fig. 1, the cavity contracting in the vertical section, so as to leave little more than room sufcient for the entrance of the draft bar or link b, and yet admitting of sufficient motion up and down. This contraction of the cavity of the couplingbox gives a better bearing for the couplingpin d., and makes it much less liable to bend or break.

A vertical cylindrical hole, e, is made through the coupling-boxes to receive the coupling-pin d. The hole e is surrounded on the upper side of the coupling-box with a collar or bcx,f, the shape of which is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and on one side of the collar or box f is a rectangular notch, g, designed to receive the bit h, which projects from the side of the hinged coupling pin d', thek object of which is to prevent that coupling-pin from turning on its axis in the coupling-box. The other coupling-pin, d, Fig. 3, is of the ordinary construction, being a straight rigid rod of iron with a Iianged head, t, the flange around the head of the pin resting on the collar f, thus preventing the coupling-pin from dropping through the holeve in the coupling-box. The rigid coupling-pin d hasno bit h. The hinged eouplingpin d has a n flanged head, i, like the pin d but it is shorter than the rigid pin, so that its lower extremity will not enter the hole c in the lower side of the couplingbox below the cavity 7c, but is long enough to pass below the throat of the coupling, so as to give a bearing to the coupling-pin d against the couplingbox below as well as above the draft bar or link b. The coupling-pin d is hinged at the point Z, above the throat of the coupling-box so that the lower or movable piece ofthe coupling-pin shall have a bearing against the coupling-box in its hole c', below the hinge or point l, as seen in Fig. 2, and thereby the hinge or pivot lis relieved of all strain. The bit h on the hinged coupling-pin eZ is 'so situated in relation to the hinge l and the notch g in the collar of the coupling-box that when the coupling-pin d is in place in the coupling-box the movable piece of the coupling-pin d' shall be able to move backward only in the direction of the dotted lines in the coupling-box shown in section in Fig. 2. The cavity la in the coupling-box is enlarged in the rear of the hole e, so as to allow room for the movable parts of the coupling-pin d to turn backward on its pivot l.

The draftbar b may be a link of ordinary shape, or of the shape shown in Fig. 5, having a-round hole, m, at one end for the passage of the rigid coupling-pin d, and a long slot, n,

extending fiom the other end of the link to within :t short distance of the round hole m. This description ot' draft-bar is preferred, because. the rigid coupling-pin will serve to hold the draft-bnr up and prevent its dropping too low to enter the mouth ofthe other couplingboxv when the cars are being connected.

As the two coupling-boxes lare exactly similar in construction, the pivted coupling-pin may be used in either or both of them.

rlhe operation ot' my improved coupling is ns follows: The draft-bnr b is inserted with the end having the round hole m in one of the coupling-boxes, and the rigid couplingpin d dropped into the hole c in the couplingbox and passed through the hole m in the coupling-bur. The pivoted coupling-pin d is inserted in its hole in the other coupling-box. When the cnrs are brought together, the projecting or slotted end of the draft-bur b, striking thc inside of the Hering throat ot' the opposite coupling-box, is thereby guided into the narrow throat of the coupling-box, where it meets the movable part of the coupling-pin d', which `is pushed backward, allowing` the end of the draft-l ar b to pass to the rear end of the cavity 7c in the coupling-box to the position shown by dotted lines in the sectional portion ot Fig. 2. The movable part `ot' the coupling-pin d', turning freely on itsI pivot l, then drops down, entering the slot n in the draft-ber b, thus locking the draft-bar inside of the coupling-box, from which it cannot be removed otherwise than by drawing the coupling-pin d from the coupling-box.

If preferred, a hinged coupling pin may be used in both coupling-boxes at the same time.

Having thus described my improved coupling for cztrs, what I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rlhe use, in combination with :t couplingbox, of it hinged pin so constructed, substantially as described, that the draft-bar will push the hinge piece of the pin back when it enters the coupling-box, und that so soon as the draft-bnr has entered the cavity ofthe coupling-box the movable part of the coupling-pin will drop down into the draft bar or link, thus secure] y locking it in place.

In testimony whereof I, the said HENRY BLAGKMQRE, have hereunto set my hand.

hl HENRY Xs BLAoKi/ionn.

i k. In presence otlum W. BAKEWELL, Jol-IN M. NEAL. 

